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| Q: | In Matthew 3:11 John says that he baptizes with water, but Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. What is the difference between baptism with water and with fire? | ||||||
| A: | John's main point is that he was the forerunner of the New Testament era. Christ would initiate it in its fullness. John's baptism was a real means of grace but it still pointed ahead to Christ's work. The New Testament era would be fully inaugurated at Pentecost when Jesus would baptize his disciples with the Holy Spirit and with power. After that Jesus' disciples would go throughout the world, baptizing in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The main emphasis here is not the difference of the nature of the two baptisms, but the difference of the nature and authority of the two messengers.
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